Every parliamentary written question tabled by Claire Young this session, with the full answer and department. See how every department answers, or back to the MP page.
Showing 41–60 of 182 · this parliament
What estimate his Department has made of the number of patients in NHS acute hospital beds in England whose (a) discharge and (b) onward care pathway is delayed pending a diagnostic (i) test and (i
The Department does not hold data specifically on the number of acute hospital beds that are occupied by patients whose discharge or onward care pathway is delayed pending a diagnostic scan or test.However, data is available to show the number of beds occ...
Communities and Local Government, what recent discussions his Department has had with (a) the Conveyancing Association, (b) the Law Society and (c) HM Land Registry on rates of residential property transaction fa
Ministers and officials from my Department regularly engage with a range of stakeholders to discuss issues relating to home buying and selling.While we closely monitor industry data relating to property transactions as part of our policymaking process, my...
How many prosecutions of parents under section 444 of the Education Act 1996 were brought in each of the last three years.
Data for prosecution of offences in England, including offences for non-attendance, is collected by the Ministry of Justice. The Department for Education does not collect data on the protected characteristics of the children of individuals who have been p...
Communities and Local Government, whether his Department has (a) set and (b) plans to set a target for the average time taken to complete a residential property purchase as part of its home buying and selling ref
Ministers and officials from my Department regularly engage with a range of stakeholders to discuss issues relating to home buying and selling.While we closely monitor industry data relating to property transactions as part of our policymaking process, my...
Communities and Local Government, whether his Department plans to commission research into the proportion of residential property transactions that fail to complete after offer acceptance, broken down by reason f
Ministers and officials from my Department regularly engage with a range of stakeholders to discuss issues relating to home buying and selling.While we closely monitor industry data relating to property transactions as part of our policymaking process, my...
What data her Department holds on the number of prosecutions of parents under section 444 of the Education Act 1996 where the child was receiving SEN Support at the time the prosecution was initiated.
Data for prosecution of offences in England, including offences for non-attendance, is collected by the Ministry of Justice. The Department for Education does not collect data on the protected characteristics of the children of individuals who have been p...
What estimate his Department has made of the number of patients whose regular NHS dentist has ceased providing NHS care in the last 24 months.
No estimate has been made of the number of patients whose regular National Health Service dentist has ceased to provide NHS care in the last 24 months.The NHS contracts with independent dental providers to deliver NHS dental treatment in primary care sett...
What guidance his Department has issued to Integrated Care Boards on managing the transfer of NHS dental patients when a practice (a) hands back and (b) partially hands back its NHS contract.
No estimate has been made of the number of patients whose regular National Health Service dentist has ceased to provide NHS care in the last 24 months.The NHS contracts with independent dental providers to deliver NHS dental treatment in primary care sett...
What steps his Department is taking to ensure continuity of NHS dental care for patients whose practice has converted in (a) whole and (b) part to private provision.
No estimate has been made of the number of patients whose regular National Health Service dentist has ceased to provide NHS care in the last 24 months.The NHS contracts with independent dental providers to deliver NHS dental treatment in primary care sett...
What steps his Department is taking to monitor (a) NHS dental practice closures and (b) partial contract reductions.
No estimate has been made of the number of patients whose regular National Health Service dentist has ceased to provide NHS care in the last 24 months.The NHS contracts with independent dental providers to deliver NHS dental treatment in primary care sett...
What assessment his Department has made of the potential impact of low digital literacy on patients' ability to access GP services.
General practices (GPs) are independent businesses that hold contracts with the National Health Service to perform essential services to the public. As a part of this contract, we require practices to provide online consultation tools. Online consultation...
Whether his Department holds data on the number of NHS dental appointments cancelled as a result of practices converting to private provision.
No such assessment has been made. Data on the number of National Health Service dental appointments cancelled due to dental practices converting to private provision is not held.The NHS contracts with independent dental providers, to deliver NHS dental tr...
What assessment he has made of the potential impact of NHS dental appointments that have been cancelled following their practice's transition to private provision on the long term dental health of
No such assessment has been made. Data on the number of National Health Service dental appointments cancelled due to dental practices converting to private provision is not held.The NHS contracts with independent dental providers, to deliver NHS dental tr...
Whether his Department collects data on patients occupying hospital beds while awaiting diagnostic tests or scans.
The Department does not collect data on patients that occupy hospital beds while waiting for diagnostic tests or scans.
What assessment he has made of the level of industry demand for welding specialists.
There is a strong and persistent demand for welding specialists, driven by major infrastructure programmes, advanced manufacturing, defence requirements and clean energy investment. This demand is compounded by a significant proportion of the current welding workforce approaching retirement, with a large proportion due to retire by 2027(RapidWelding).This accelerates turnover in skilled roles and magnifies the urgency for faster training throughput and progression pathways.DWP/Skills England has proactively responded to the anticipated shortage of welders by introducing a new apprenticeship unit in mechanised welding. This initiative is designed to reskill the existing workforce and re‑engage experienced individuals who may have previously been forced into early retirement.Furthermore, DWP has fast‑tracked the introduction of a new apprenticeship unit in metal fabrication, with the intention that it will enter delivery from May.
What discussions he has had with the Secretary of State for Business and Trade on aligning skills training provision for welding specialists with the workforce requirements set out in the industrial strategy.
The Government is working with industry to develop sector Jobs Plans for all growth-driving sectors identified by the Industrial Strategy, and for construction. These plans will build on the Industrial Strategy Sector Plans and provide a clear direction of travel for government and industry to develop the domestic workforce together. Jobs Plans set out ambitious action addressing the workforce needs in each sector over the next three years. We aim to publish jobs plans in the summer (clean energy have already published a jobs plan). Welding is likely to feature in several plans as it cuts across different industries including clean energy, construction and advanced manufacturing. Skills England and the Department for Business and Trade (DBT) work closely together to make sure the UK’s jobs, growth and industrial plans are matched by the right skills supply - nationally and locally.DWP/Skills England is addressing anticipated shortages of welders by introducing a new mechanised welding apprenticeship unit. This will reskill the existing workforce and help re‑engage experienced workers who may have left the sector early.In addition, DWP has fast‑tracked a new metal fabrication apprenticeship unit, due to begin delivery from May.
Innovation and Technology, what regulatory steps her Department has taken to prevent technology companies from profiting from online scam advertisements.
Fraud and other financial crimes are ‘priority offences’ under the Online Safety Act, meaning regulated services must prevent users encountering user-generated fraudulent content, swiftly remove it if it appears, and mitigate and manage the risk of their services facilitating fraud.Ofcom has robust powers to act if it finds services are failing in their regulatory duties, including issuing fines of £18 million or 10% global turnover, whichever is higher.
What steps he is taking to help increase the number of welding apprenticeship starts in England.
There are a number of apprenticeship standards relevant to welding, including the Level 2 Welder standard and the Level 3 Plate Welder standard.To support employers, including those in welding and associated occupations, to take on apprentices, the government provides a range of financial support. We are introducing a new hiring grant of £2,000 for non-levy paying employers (essentially SMEs) that take on 16–24-year-old apprentices as new employees. It will apply to apprenticeship starts from October, as long as the apprentice has joined their employer within the past three months. Employers hiring apprentices aged 18-24 who have been on Universal Credit for over six months will also be eligible for the new £3,000 Youth Jobs Grant from June 2026.Additionally, from August 2026 we will fully fund apprenticeship training for non-levy paying employers, including those in welding occupations, for eligible people aged 16-24. At the moment, this only happens for apprentices aged 16-21 and apprentices aged 22-24 who have an Education, Health and Care Plan (EHCP) or have been, or are, in local authority care.The government also pays £1,000 to both employers and providers for apprentices aged 16-18, and for apprentices aged 19-24 who have an EHCP or have been, or are, in local authority care. On top of this, employers are not required to pay anything towards employees’ National Insurance for all apprentices aged up to age 25 (when the employee’s wage is below £50,270 a year).To give employers greater flexibility and help them respond quickly to emerging skills gaps, we have also launched the first apprenticeship units, funded from the Growth and Skills Levy, and one of these is on mechanised welding.
What assessment he has made of the potential impact of NHS dental appointments that have been cancelled following their practice's transition to private provision on the long term dental health of affected patients.
No such assessment has been made.
Whether he holds the data on the total number of GP referrals handed to consultants for review.
The Department does not hold data in the format requested. It is standard practice for triage processes to operate through locally agreed referral pathways, developed by integrated care boards and providers to reflect local service configuration and patient need.As set out in the Elective Reform Plan and the Medium Term Planning Framework, we are expanding the use of Advice and Guidance (A&G), a pre-referral service used by general practitioners (GPs) to request quick specialist advice, and Single Point of Access, which encourages consultant-led triage, to help GPs and hospital specialists, including consultants, work together and make the best treatment plans for patients, while reducing unnecessary referrals to waiting lists. A&G requests are distinct from hospital referrals, whereby a patient is added onto a waiting list. A&G does not take away a GP’s right to refer, which remains a matter of clinical judgement. Between April 2025 and December 2025, there were 15,991,984 referrals for Referral to Treatment services. For the same period, there were 2,687,368 pre-referral advice and guidance requests, 2,485,559 of which were processed, and 1,234,527 have been directed to treatment that is not a secondary care referral at that time, which is 45.9% of total requests. These re-directed patients may otherwise have had to wait for an unnecessary appointment and instead are expected to receive more timely care with earlier specialist input.